Articles of furniture



April 3, 1962 Filed Oct. 23, 1959 B. I. BENDXXEN EI'AL ARTICLES OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-5heet 1 INVENTORS 320%,} K/ar Benda'xen.

BY and M fajeryrean,

M- WM,

A ril 3, 1962 s. 1. BENDIXEN EI'AL 3,027,571

ARTICLES OF FURNITURE Filed Oct. 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN T 0R3 ZQ Bendzxen 22:1, Karl Page, reel BY 9 7759/ fl n x United States Patent 3,027,571 ARTICLES F FURNITURE Bendix Ivar Rendixen, 6 Drosselvej, Holbaek, Denmark,

and Karl Rosengreen, 129 Gladsavevej, Soeborg, near Copenhagen, Denmark Filed Oct. 23, B59, Ser. No. 848,405 Claims priority, application Denmark Oct. 25, 1958 12 Claims. (Cl. -59) This invention relates to articles of furniture, such as sofas or couches, having seating and bed positions for use and of the type comprising a frame provided with an upwardly extending rear portion, an upholstered seat mounted on said frame displaceably between a rear seating position and a foremost bed position, and an upholstered back which is at its upper part hinged to said rear frame portion.

Such articles of furniture comprise the advantage that in the seating position the seat is partly pushed in below the back whereby a comfortable depth of the seat is provided for a person to sit in the article of furniture, and at the same time, when the article of furniture is to be used as bed, the seat can be displaced forwardly free of the back, so that a bed is obtained having a width essentially bigger than the depth of the seat in the seating position thereof. Simultaneously the possibility of swinging the back forwardly involves that the back does not obstruct the displacement of the seat and further that it is possible if so desired to use the space behind the back and above the pushed in seat for storing of the bed clothes.

The hitherto known articles of furniture of the said kind is, however, rather difficult to operate since when the seat is to be displaced forward it is necessary first to swing the back forward free of the seat, by means of suitable means to secure the back in the forward position, then to pull the seat forward, which demands the use of considerable forces, to release the clamping means for the back and finally to swing the latter back to a position behind the rear end of the seat.

An object of the present invention is to procure an article of furniture of the type referred to which combines a simple and therefore cheap construction with an easy and convenient manipulation requiring only small efforts.

A further object of the invention is to procure an article of furniture of the type referred to by which the displacement of the seat forwardly from seating position into bed position can be carried through only by swing of the back forwardly and upwardly from its normal downwardly extending position towards a forwardly extending position.

A still further object of the invention is to procure an article of furniture of the type referred to by which it is possible first to swing the back forwardly and upwardly to a downwards inclining position in which access is obtained to the space behind the back and then to bring about the forward displacement of the seat from its seating position towards its bed position only by a further swing of the back from said downwardly inclining position to a forwardly extending position.

Another object of the invention is to procure an article of furniture of the type referred to, by which it is possible,

'when the article of furniture is in its seating position, to

swing the back forward and upward to a downwardly inclining position in which access is obtained to the space behind the back releaseably to retain the back in this position, and later on to bring about the forward displacement of the seat from its seating position towards its bed position only by a further swing of the back upwardly from said downwardly inclining position.

line

Still another object of the invention is to procure an article of furniture of the last defined type, in which it is further possible releaseably to retain the back in its last stated forwardly extending position or a little below this position.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of two embodiments of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the first embodiment of the invention, for the purpose of clarity with an end panel removed, the parts being in the positions occupied when the article is in seating position,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but with the back partly swung forward,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, but with the back swung to its uppermost position and the seat displaced forward into bed position,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view on a larger scale of a retaining device,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of another embodiment of the invention with the back in its uppermost position and the seat displaced forward into bed position, and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 5 but showing a modification.

The article of furniture shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is provided with a frame 10 to 18 comprising two end panels 10 of which only the one farthest away is shown and which each is provided with a front leg 12 and a real leg 14. Each end panel 10 is further at its rear end provided with an upwardly extending portion 16. The two end panels are interconnected by means of a number of longitudinally extending boards 17, 18 and 19 of which only one, 18, interconnects the upwardly extending end panel portions 16.

An upholstered backrest or back 21 is hinged at its upper end to the panel portions 16, by means of pivots 22.

Each end panel 19 is provided with a transverse sup porting rail 24, which when the article is in its seating position shown in FIG. 1, serves to support an upholstered seat 26. The seat 26 is at its rear end provided with at least two fittings 28 pivotably connected to the lower end of links 30 the upper ends of which are pivoted to fittings 32 secured to the board 18. At each side of the seat 26 somewhat behind the front edge thereof a roller 34 is rotatably mounted, which during a forward displacement of the seat 26 from its rear position shown in FIG. 1 towards its foremost position shown in FIG. 3 rolls upon an inclined roller path 36 secured to the upper side of the supporting rail 24. During its forward displacement the seat 26 is raised from the supporting rail 24 so that the friction during the displacement is essential ly decreased. In the foremost position of the seat shown in FIG. 3 the rollers 34 have passed the inclined roller path 36 so that the front of the seat 26 again rests upon the rails 24 and the rollers 24 engage behind the roller path thus preventing a backward displacement of the seat 26.

During the forward displacement of the seat from the seating position shown in FIG. 1 towards the bed posi tion shown in FIG. 3 the rear part of the seat 26 is owing to the links 3%) moved through a curvature forwards as well as upwards so that the seat 26, which in the seating position shown in FIG. 1 inclines backwardly, is horizontal in the bed position shown in FlG. 3.

To bring about the displacement of the seat 26 from its rear position shown in FIG. 1 to its foremost position shown in FIG. 3 a strap 38 or a similar flexible connects aman ing element is used one end of which is secured to the rear side of the back 20 at a distance from the pivot 22, the other end of the strap 38 being secured to the rear end of the seat 26.

The strap 38 has such a length that it is not tightened until the back 29 has been swung forward to the inclined position shown in FIG. 2. When the back 2% adapts this position it is possible to get access to the space behind the back and to remove any bed clothes placed there. When the back then is swung further upwards to its forwardly extending position shown in FIG. 3 the strap 33 will pull at the rear end of the seat 26 and thereby cause a forward swing of the latter and consequently a forwards displacement of the seat from its seating position shown in FIG. 2 to its bed position shown in PEG. 3.

To render'unneccssary that during the removal of the bed clothes from the space behind the back 20 and during the making-of the bed the operator would need to maintain the back 29 in raised position by hand, there are provided means releasably retaining the back 20 in a raised position somewhat :below the position shown in FIG. 2 as well as in a raised position somewhat below the position shown in FIG. 3. These means comprise a link 40 pivotably connected to the rear side of the back 20 and at its free end provided with a laterally extending pin izengaging behind a guide flange 44 of a retaining device 46 secured to the frame portion 16 and in greater detail shown in FIG. 4.

This retaining device 46 comprises a plate 43 secured to the frame portion 16 and being provided with abent front edge constituting the guide flange 44. An abutment member secured to the rear face of the guide flange 44 is provided with an upwardly facing abutment edge 52 and-a rear free edge54 extending downwards obliquely towards the guide flange 44. The abutment member 5% is so positioned that the pin '42 can engage the abutment edgeSZ when the back 2% assumes a position slightly lower than the one shown in FIG. 2.

A little above the abutment member 5t) an obliquely upwards and forwards extending guide flap 56 is arranged forming an acute angle with the guide flange 44 and resiliently abutting the latter. The guide flap 56 consists of a leaf spring at its rear end secured to the plate 48.

At a distance above the :guide flap 56 another guide flap '58 is arranged likewise forming an acute angle to the guide flange 44 but extending obliquely forwards and downwards. This guide flap 5% too resiliently engages the rear side of the guide flange 44 and consists in the embodiment shown of a leaf spring which at its rear end is "secured tothe plate 48. The guide flaps 56 and 58 may insteadof leaf springs consist of spring actuated arms pivotably connected to the plate 48. The guide flap 58 is :so arranged that whenthe back 20 assumes it upper position shown in FIG. 3, the pin '42 can move above the upper edge of the guide flap 58 When the back Ztiassumes the position shown in FIG. 1, the link 40-assurncs the position shown in FIG. 4 by 40,1 in which position the pin 42 is located opposite the lower-part of the guide flange 4'4. If now the back 24] is swung forward the pin42 will move up along the flange 44 with which it remains in contact owing to the weight of the inclined link 40 and the pin 42. When during the swing of the back 20 the latter approaches the position shown in FIG. 2, the pi-n'42 will move upwards along the inclined'edge 54 0f the abutment member 50 and into engagement with the abutment edge '52, so thatthe back 20 when released manually, remains supported by the engagement of the pin 42 with the abutment edge 52. When then later on the back 20 is swung further to the position shown in EEG. 2 in which the link 4% assumes the-position in FIG. 4 shown by 40,11, the pin '42 will push the guide flap 56 backwards and move upwards through the gap thus obtained-between the guide flap 56 and the guide flange '44. During "a further upwards swing of the back 2d towards the position shown in FIG. 3 the pin 42 will move first along the guide flange 44 and then up along the lower side of the guide flap 58, until the back assumes the position shown in FIG. 3 and the link will rock forwardly and move the pin 42 past the upper edge of the guide flap 58 into engagement with the guide flange If now the back is lowered a little, the pin 42 will engage the angle between the guide flange 44 and the guide flap 58, see the position 40,111 of the link if; shown in FIG. 4, and will be retained by the guide flap 42. and thereby retain the back '20 in a position a little lower than the one shown in FIG. 3.

As stated above the seat 26 is in the last said position of the back '20 displaced to its foremost bed position. When the bed has been made the back Zll is pressed downwards which involves that the pin d2 forces the guide flap S3 backwards so that the pin can move through the gap between the guide flap 53 and the guide flange 44 thus obtained and the back can be swung downwards back to the position shown in PEG. 1. During this movement of the back 2ltthe pin 42 will first move along the guide flange 44 and then along the upper side of the guide flap 56 whereby it is moved past the abutment member 50 without engaging the latter and further along the guide flange 44 back to the starting position indicated by the link position 401.

When the article of furniture is again to be converted rom bed position into seating position, the back Ztl is first swung to the partly swung out'position in which it is retained by the abutment member 50 whereafter the bed clothes are removed, and the seat 26 is pushed back to the position shown in FIG. 1 after first having been lifted at its front end to bring the rollers 34 up on the roller path 36 so that the displacement of the seat 26 is .not hampered by the latter. Thereafter the bed clothes are put back into the space behind the back 20, and the latter is raised a little to the position shown in MG. 2, so that the pin 42 moves upwardstothe upper side of the guide flap 56, and the back can be swung back to the position shown in FIG. 1.

Though the strap 38 vor-a corresponding flexible member, for example a chain, may be considered extremely advantageous sufiicient-ly durable and cheap, it may be replaced by other energizable lost motion means, for example a telescopic bar pivotably connected to the back 20 as well as to the seat 26 or a member connected thereto, for exampleto the link 30.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to all essentials to the one shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. In this case, however, the rear end of the seat 26 is instead of being guided by means of links 30 guided by a roller rotatably arranged on each side of the seat 26 and running upon a roller guide 72 secured to the upper side of the supporting rail 24. The roller guide 72 assures that during a forward displacement of the seat 26 the rear part of the seat 26 is moved upwards sothat the seat26 is in its foremost position horizontal. In this embodiment furthermore instead of the strap 38 a strap 74 is used one end of which is secured tothe rearside of the back 20, the other end of which is secured to a pin 76 on the supporting rail 24. On the rear edge of the seat 26 a fitting 78 is fastened provided with two rollers $6 over which the strap 74 is led, at least when the seat 26 assumes its rearmost position indicated in broken lines in FIG. 5. The strap 74 has such a length thatwhen the'seat 26 assumes its rear position it is not tightened until the back 20 assumes the partly forwardly swung position indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 5. If the back20 is swung from this position up to the upper position shown -in full lines in FIG. 5, the strap 74 will be pulled upwards and thereby push the seat 26 forwards. Since the pin 76 is arranged behind the position which the fitting 78 assumes when the seat is fully pushed forward, the strap '74 will during the last part of theforward movement only actuat: the uppermost roller 80.

The arrangement of the strap 74 shown in FIG. can also be used in connection with the suspension of the rearmost end of the seat shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, just as the arrangement of the strap 38 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 can be used in connection with the roller guide 72 shown in FIG. 5 or another corresponding guiding device for the rear end of the seat 26. The use of links corresponding for example to the one shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, is to be preferred, however, since they ensure the smallest possible friction against the displacement of the seat 26.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to that shown in FIG. 5, with the exception that instead of the strap 74 there is used a pull member 84. The pull member is at one end fastened to the rear side of the back 20 and is from here led across a guide roller 86 at the rear edge of the supporting rail 24 down under and round another guide roller 88 which is also rotatably mounted on the supporting rail 24 and so arranged that when the seat 26 assumes its foremost position it is located in front of the rear edge of the seat. From the roller 88 the strap 84 is led to the rear part of the seat and secured thereto. A pull in the pull member 84 produced by a swing of the back 20 will cause a forwarddirected pull in the seat 26 and thus bring about its forward displacement, and that irrespective of whether the seat is at its rear end guided as shown in FIG. 5 or as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 or in another way.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An article of furniture convertible between seating and bed positions comprising, in combination, a frame including an upwardly extending rear portion; an upholstered seat mounted on said frame displaceable be tween a rear seating position and a foremost bed position; said seat having a rear part; an upholstered back having an upper part hinged to said rear portion of said frame so that said back can be swung between a downwardly extending position and a forwardly extending position; a one-way actuating device in driving connection with said rear part of said seat for displacement of said seat from said seating position into said bed position only, said actuating device including an energizable pull member having a lost motion; said pull member being secured to said back and operable for being energized during said swing of said back forwards and upwards from said downwardly extending position towards said forwardly extending position thereby causing said actuating device to displace said seat forwardly, and retaining means on said frame operable for retaining releasably said seat in its foremost bed position independently of the position of said back.

2. An article of furniture convertible between seating and bed positions comprising, in combination, a frame provided with an upwardly extending rear portion; an upholstered seat mounted on said frame displaceable between a rear seating position and a foremost bed position; said seat having a rear part; an upholstered back having an upper part hinged to said upwardly extending rear portion of said frame so that said back can be swung forwards and upwards between a downwardly extending position and a forwardly extending position; a guide device connected to said frame and guiding said rear part of said seat to move upwards and forwards during said forwardly displacement of said seat between said seating position and said bed position; a pull member; said pull member being at its one end secured to said back and at its other end connected to said rear part of said seat, so that when said back is swung upwardly from said downwardly extending position towards said forwardly extending position said rear part of said seat is pulled upwards thereby causing said forwards displacement of said seat between said seating position and said bed position, and retaining means on said frame operable for retaining releasably said seat in its foremost bed position independently of the position of said back.

3. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 2, said pull member being flexible.

4. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 3, said pull member being a strap.

5. An article of furniture as stated in claim 2, said guide device including at least one link, said link being at its one end pivotably connected to said frame and at its other end pivotably connected to said rear part of said seat.

6. An article of furniture as stated in claim 5, said one end of said link being pivotably connected to said upwardly extending rear portion of said frame.

7. An article of furniture convertible between seating and bed positions comprising, in combination, a frame provided with an upwardly extending rear portion; an upholstered seat mounted in said frame displaceably between a rear seating position and a foremost bed position; said seat having a rear end; an upholstered back having an upper part hinged to said upwardly extending rear portion of said frame so that said back can be swung forwards and upwards from a downwardly extending position towards a forwardly extending position; a one-way actuating device in driving connection with said rear part of said seat for displace ment of said seat from said seating position into said bed position only, said actuating device including a flexible pull member, said pull member being at its one end secured to said back and at its other end secured to said frame at a fastening point thereof, said fastening point being positioned in front of said rear end of said seat when said seat is in its said rear bed position; said flexible pull member being passed around said rear end of said seat, and retaining means on said frame operable for retaining releasably said seat in its foremost bed position independently of the position of said back.

8. An article of furniture convertible between seating and bed positions comprising, in combination, a frame provided with an upwardly extending rear portion; an upholstered seat mounted in said frame displaceably between a rear seating position and a foremost bed posi tion; said seat having a rear part; an upholstered back having an upper part hinged to said upwardly extending rear portion of said frame so that said back can be swung forwards and upwards from a downwardly extending position towards a forwardly extending position; a one-way actuating device in driving connection with said rear part of said seat for displacement of said seat from said seating position into said bed position only, said actuating device including; a flexible pull member, a guide member connected to said frame, said pull member being at its one end secured to said back; said pull member being led from said back passed down to and around said guide member and from said guide member backwards to said rear part of said seat, the other end of said pull member being secured to said rear part of said seat at a fastening point thereof, said fastening point being, when said seat assumes its said foremost bed position, situated behind said guide member, and retaining means on said frame operable for retaining releasably said seat in its foremost bed position independently of the position of said back.

9. An article of furniture convertible between seating and bed positions comprising, in combination, a frame including an upwardly extending rear portion; an upholstered seat mounted on said frame displaceably between a rear seating position and a foremost bed position; said seat having a rear part; an upholstered back having an upper part hinged to said rear portion of said frame so that said back can be swung between a downwardly extending position and a forwardly extending position; a releasable retaining device connected to said back as well as to said frame for releasable retaining of said back in at least one intermediate position between said downwardly extending position and said forwardly extending position, a unidirectionally operative actuating device in driving connection with and actuatable for displacement of said seat from said rear seating position towards said foremost bed position; said actuating device including an energizable pull member having a lost motion, said pull member being secured to said back and operable for being energized during said swing of said back forwards and upwards from said downwardly ex tending position towards said forwardly extending position thereby causing said actuating device to displace said seat forwardly, and retaining means on said frame operable for retaining releasably said seat in its foremost bed position independently of the position of said back.

10. An article of furniture convertible between seating and bed positions comprising, in combination, a frame including an upwardly extending rear portion; an upholstered seat mounted on said frame displaceably between a rear seating position and a foremost bed position; said seat having a real part; an upholstered back having an upper part hinged to said rear portion of said frame so that said back'can be swung between a downwardly extending position and a forwardly extending position; 'a releasable retaining device connected to said back as well as to said frame for releasable retaining of said back in at least one intermediate position between said downwardly extending position and said forwardly extending "position, a unidirec'tionally operative actuating device actuatable for disp'lacementof said seat from said rear seating position towards said foremost bed position; said actuating device including an energizable pull member, said pull member being secured to said back and operable for being energized 'during said swing of said back forwards and upwards from said downwardly extending position towards said forwardly extending position thereby causing said actuating device to displace said seat forwardly, said releasable retaining device including a link at one end pivoted to said back, said link being at its other end provided with a sidewards extending pin; a guide flange secured to said frame, said guide flange having a guide surface, .said pin engaging said guide surface, at least one guide flap connected to :said frame, said guide flap resiliently engaging said guide surface and forming an acute angle with said guide surface, said angle comprising an abutment for said pin.

11. An article of furniture, as claimed in claim 10, said guide flap being'a leaf spring having one end engaging said guide surface and having its other end fixed to said frame.

iholstered seat mounted on said frame displaceably between a rear seating position and a foremost bed .position; said seat having a rear part; an upholstered back having an upper part hinged to said rear portion of said frame so that said back can be swung between a downwardly extending position and a forwardly extending position; a releasable retaining device connected to said back as well as to said frame for releasable retaining of said back in'at least one intermediate position between said downwardly extending position and said forwardly extending position, a unidirectionally operative actuating device actuatable for displacement of said seat from said rear seating position towards said foremost bed position; said actuating device including an energizable ,pu'll member, said pull member being secured to said back and operable for being energized during said swing of said back "forwards and upwards from said downwardly extending position towards said forwardly extending position thereby causing said actuating device to displace said seat forwardly, said releasable retaining device including a link at lone endpivotably connected to said back, said link being at its other end provided with a sidewards extending pin; a guide flange secured to said frame; said guide flange having a guide surface; said pin engaging said guide surface, at least one primary guide :flap connectedto said frame, said primary guide flap resiliently engaging said guide surface and forming an upwardly narrowing acute angle with said guide surface, at least one'abu'tment member for said pin being secured to said guide surface below said primary guide flap; at least one secondary guide flap connected to said frame, said secondary guide flap resiliently engaging said guide surface and forming a downwardly narrowing acute angle with said guide surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENT S 619,173 Haskins Feb. 7, 1899 2,370,851 Eppenstein Mar. 6, 1'945 2,548,570 Udd Apr. 10, 1951 2,564,878 Burnett Aug. 21, 1951 2,627,612 Ekeberg Feb. 10, 1953 2,694,207 MacEachron Nov. 16, 1954 2,727,250 Fox Dec. 20, 1955 2,907,053 Fox Oct. 6, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,713 Switzerland Dec. 9, 1895 

